Stars : Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich, Charles Laughton,
Watch on : Prime Video
If ever there was an English classic in crime thriller genre then this was it. Made with the class and finesse of the Victorian era nearly seven decades ago it will enthrall even audiences today for the perfectly cunning murder mystery enacted by quaint characters with elements of a bleak black comedy and an incredible surprise ending.
Lovers of Agatha Christie novels would have already read this remarkable play/story in school texts or as I did at leisure as a youth fifty years back. Being a movie buff, I caught up with its wonderful film adaptation later on the big screen. Considered one of the all time great thriller films it was directed by the famed maker, Billy Wilder (who directed super films like ‘The Apartment’) and had a stunning line-up of great stars like Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich, Charles Laughton and Elsa Lanchester.
It’s worth appreciating that OTT is able to bring home to young audiences worldwide, such old classics which the present generation can also savour not only for its mystery and suspense but also for the purity of English language and subtle expressions used in the film, having possibly only heard about them from their grandparents ! The film was acclaimed by critics & received six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. It was selected as the sixth-best courtroom drama ever by the American Film Institute.
The story revolves around a Senior barrister Sir Wilfrid who is recovering from a heart attack but against the doctor’s orders, is intrigued by the severity of the charges and plain facts of an ‘open and shut case’. He agrees to defend Leonard Vole, who is accused of murdering Emily French, a wealthy, childless widow who had fallen in love with him and named him as the main beneficiary in her will. A most engaging courtroom battle of wits and legal skills ensues in the English court wherein as circumstances develop, the key witness for the prosecution turns out to be the mysterious wife of the accused.
As the splendidly witty and mentally agile Barrister, fiercely trying to defend his client from the gallows, Sir Charles Laughton steals the show with an outstanding portrayal but Marlene Dietrich as the inscrutable wife of the accused is simple superb in her role. This is the third time I’ve seen this film over the years – each time it’s sheer pleasure !
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